Bournemouth's rise to Premier League football - CNN.com — AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) May 3, 2015 5. The club were on the verge of oblivion — twice While the club is finding its way onto the back pages for footballing reasons, it was financial troubles that nearly put Bournemouth out of existence twice in the last 20 years. It became Europe's first community-owned club when a supporter's trust was set up in 1997. Players had to host a bucket collection in the town to help raise the funds. In the 2007-08 season, Bournemouth went into administration once more and were seconds away from liquidation until chairman Jeff Mostyn wrote a check for £100,000 ($153,000) to stave off the debt collectors. After starting the 2008-09 campaign with a 17-point deduction, they were saved from relegation in the final home game of the season when club legend Steve Fletcher scored the winning goal to stop the team falling out of the bottom division of the Football League. 6.

They are coached by the 'Manager of the Decade' Former player Eddie Howe was tasked with rescuing the team from what looked like certain relegation, following a 17-point deduction, from League Two on New Year's Eve 2008. At the time, he was England's youngest ever league manager at the age of 31. In six years, and over two spells, he's taken the club he supported as child from the bottom of the ladder to within one game of playing in front of an estimated worldwide audience of four billion people. He is only one of a handful of managers ever to lead their team through all three divisions to Premier League promotion. This has all been enough to earn him the first Football League Manager of the Decade award at a ceremony held in April. The achievements of Eddie Howe at Bournemouth make me wonder whether we've possibly found the English 'special one'. — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 27, 2015 7. It'll be worth at least £120 million ($183,500,000 dollars) to a team that has never spent big The club is owned by enigmatic Russian Maxim Demin.

Not much is known about the media-shy petro-chemical magnate who's based in Switzerland. His interest in the club came after having a house built by former chairman and owner Eddie Mitchell in the upmarket Sandbanks -- once the fourth most expensive place to buy property in the world. After buying out the property developer of his home, he has bankrolled the club of late, investing around $15 million by most reports. But the team's promotion will earn them unprecedented sums in Europe's most profitable league. The figure is a minimum -- if Bournemouth stay up, they will benefit from the new TV rights deal worth $7.8 billion to the Premier League, banking them a further $153 million. The team's biggest transfer has been the purchase of top scorer Callum Wilson for $4.6 million. 8. Bournemouth won't be the only team you've never heard of in a top European league. Carpi, a team who play in front of crowds of around 4,000 people, earned their place in Italy's Serie A on Wednesday. They have made the rise from the fifth tier of Italian football, one better than Bournemouth.

CNN also wrote about the ascent of tiny Eibar who represented themselves well in a first season in Spain's La Liga. Eibar only has a population of 22,000 people compared to Bournemouth being home to nearly 200,000 people. 9. The club changed their name to top the league The team changed its name from Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club to AFC Bournemouth so they could top the league alphabetically while at the same time sounding similar to the names of great teams in Europe. The Cherries nickname comes from playing on the site of the Cooper-Dean estate which was home to a number of cherry orchards. The team also play in red and black stripes. A photo posted by AFC Bournemouth (@officialafcb) on Mar 3, 2015 at 1:45pm PST 10. The town has the best beaches in the Premier League The town grew in popularity back in the 18th century as a pleasant place to escape London's smog and relax on the golden sands of its 11 kilometer coastline. Manager Eddie Howe believes the club's promotion will boost the town's image.

"This is one of the nicest parts in England and now more people are going to get to see it," he said at a press conference on Thursday. "It's not every day that you'll get the numbers that will come here and it can only be a good thing for local businesses." He added: "To see the Bournemouth name being talked about around the world has been so good to see." AFC Bournemouth - Football - BBC Sport AFC Bournemouth The FA charge former non-league player Alfie Barker over tweets sent to Bournemouth's Harry Arter. 18 Jan Premier League clubs should face legal action if they fail to meet the needs of disabled fans, according to a new report. 16 Jan New boss Marco Silva guides Hull to victory in his first Premier League match as the Tigers move off the foot of the table.

14 Jan As Cherries become No47 up top, Villa remain worst ever-present Premier League team | Sporting Intelligence Home Football News As Cherries become No47 up top, Villa remain worst ever-present Premier League team As Cherries become No47 up top, Villa remain worst ever-present Premier League team May 1, 2015 by admin By Brian Sears 1 May 2015 Barring one of the most absurd sets of results this weekend that the game of football has ever seen, Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League will be confirmed. They play at Charlton while Middlesbrough are at home to Brighton and it would need a loss for Bournemouth coupled with a win for Boro and a 19-goal swing to upset the cherry cart. Statistically it is more likely that alien life will be found on earth in the next five years, and that it will be found by Lord Lucan aboard Shergar . I exaggerate only slightly. Suffice to say that by the end of the weekend Bournemouth’s elevation to the Premier League for the 2015-16 season will almost certainly be confirmed.

They will become the 47th different club to play in the Premier League since English football’s top division was revamped in 1992-93. Next season, of the 92 clubs in the top four divisions of the English game, more than half of them (47 of 92, or 51%) will have played Premier League football. Premier League football will have become a majority experience inside 24 years for what is effectively the professional game (those 92 clubs) in England. First of all today, in the chart below, we examine the records of the 46 to have played PL football so far. They are ranked in order of the total number of seasons there (from a maximum of 23); and if equal in seasons then ranked on the number of titles; and then finishing position. Only five clubs have ever won the title, and only another three have ever finished inside the top two places, and none of them for 18 years and counting. Younger readers may be surprised to know clubs as varied as Leeds, Norwich and Nottingham Forest have finished in the top three in the Premier League – something Tottenham and other ‘bigger’ clubs have never done. . . .

Seven clubs have been ever-present over the 23 seasons of the Premier League. Below are their all-time PL records, and the two clubs with the worst records of these seven, Everton and Aston Villa, meet this weekend. They have also been the clubs among those seven to most often risk losing that ever-present status. This season has been no exception. Everton have hauled themselves towards safety in recent weeks but Aston Villa still have a fight on their hands. Everton travel to Villa Park this weekend. In games in the Premier League between the two clubs Villa lead Everton by 68 points to 50 points. But Villa fans might like to look away as we list the points gained in those matches season by season. Four seasons ago, Villa’s points advantage over Everton was 65-35. And now Villa have just the one win over Everton in the last 12 games (four Everton wins and seven draws). And those four Everton wins have come in the last five meetings. Unsurprisingly considering this season’s form Villa are the only ever-present club to be in overall deficit when it comes to goal difference. Article continues below .

And another thing … Plotting the points season-by-season for Aston Villa and Everton encouraged the same approach for Tottenham and Man City. The outcome is remarkably similar showing a sea change from Spurs to the Blues. Up to 2009-10 the Premier League points stacked up as 61 to Tottenham and 13 to Man City. Since then Tottenham have only gained four points in the nine games played with City winning seven of them and gaining 22 points. Perhaps a more natural division of time to consider is the pre-Mansour and post-Mansour era at City, or before and after Abu Dhabi’s oil cash funded their recent improvement and titles, since 2008. In the PL era before then, Spurs won 79% of the points split in head-to-head meetings and City won 21%. Since Mansour arrived, the split is 42% to Spurs and 58% to City. With four games left to play this season City will go to White Hart Lane on Sunday with a nine-point advantage over Spurs. Article continues below …. And finally The statistics in these pages will often be in relation to the Premier League era when they deal with English football.

We know the game is a bit older than that. We know Preston won as Invincibles in the league’s first season in 1888-89. But the Premier League is a distinct era if only because of the money that has transformed the picture. This is the ‘monied era’ . To get some idea of how the financial situations of these clubs have changed over time – and finance is a big influence in success in football – further reading and related articles spring from Sportingintelligence’s annual global sports salaries reports, are linked here: [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by conrad grabish,... Lalalalalalala I did try to tell you Agree with Neil 100%, good article but doesnt take away... The answer to first what was indeed first Aussie at... The conclusion we are all waiting for, wether or not... Unfortunately I think he's guilty and this article has done... Late to the party, but: He wagged a finger atthe...

AFC Bournemouth history AFC Bournemouth history Posted: Thu 24 May 2012 Author: afcb.co.uk Image by: The Early Years The present football club can trace its roots as far back as 1890 when Boscombe St. Johns Institute Football Club were playing in local football. They disbanded in 1899 and from the remains of that club, Boscombe FC were formed at a meeting under the streetlights in Gladstone Road, Boscombe. The Club competed in the Bournemouth and District Junior League playing at a ground in Castlemain Avenue, Pokesdown. They moved to Kings Park, adjacent to the current stadium in 1902 and were soon emerging as the top team in the town. After enjoying many local successes, they joined the Hampshire League and were attracting large crowds. In 1910, Mr. J.E. Cooper-Dean granted the club on a long lease some wasteland next to Kings Park. With their own ground, named Dean Court after the benefactor, the club continued to thrive and dominated the local football scene. It was around this time that the club gained the nickname, 'The Cherries'.

There are two main stories on to why the club would be called such a name. Firstly the Cherry Red striped shirts the side wore and secondly, Dean Court was built next to the Cooper-Dean estate which included many Cherry Orchards. The club signed their first professional player in 1910, B.Penton, who signed from Southampton for a £10 fee. The club then moved in to the South Eastern League but this proved to be a big leap and the side finished bottom of the table. With the outbreak of war in 1914, the progress of the club was halted and they returned to the Hampshire league in 1919. The club was ambitious and when the Third Division was formed in 1920, they moved up to the highly competitive Southern League as many clubs in that league went on to form the Third Division. After three years in the Southern League, the club applied for membership of the Football League. The application was accepted and Boscombe would be playing in the Third Division (South) in the 1923-24 season.

Bournemouth and Boscombe At the public house where the side used to change before matches, The Portman Hotel, a meeting decided that the club would change its name to 'Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club'. The first ever league match was at Swindon on 25 August 1923 at Swindon where Bournemouth lost 3-1. The first ever league game at Dean Court was also against Swindon and it was against these opponents that Bournemouth gained their first ever league point in a 0-0 draw. Bournemouth struggled initially in the Football League, but firmly established themselves as a Third Division side and they still hold the record for the longest continuous membership of the Division. As a league club, they had to wait until after the war for their first trophy. That came when Walsall were beaten at Stamford Bridge in the Third Division (South) Cup. The Cup Run of 1956-57 The Cherries finally hit the headlines in the 1956-57 season after a fabulous run in the FA Cup despite being handed some of the hardest draws imaginable.

After beating Burton Albion, Swindon and Accrington Stanley, they were drawn away to Wolves, then third in the top flight. An amazing 1-0 win saw Bournemouth earn a home tie against Spurs, then the second side in the First Division. A stunning performance saw Bournemouth win through 3-1 and were then handed a home tie against Manchester United - the top side in the country! The dream ended there in controversial circumstances. United won 2-1 in front of a record 28,799 crowd at Dean Court through a goal that looked offside and a questionable penalty. Despite the defeat, Bournemouth grabbed the nations imaginations and were awarded 'The Giant Killers Cup'. The 1970s & The Bond Years Hopes were high for success but the cup run was not built on and in 1970, the side slipped to Division Four. Relegation proved to be a blessing in disguise and the club entered an exciting few years. Under John Bond, the side won promotion for the first time and he built up a side that were a joy to watch.

Ted MacDougall was the hero with players such as Phil Boyer and Mel Machin supplying 'SuperMac' with chance after chance. MacDougall scored 49 goals in the 70-71 season and in the following campaign, he put nine past Margate in the 11-0 FA Cup win. With a change of name to 'AFC Bournemouth', the club looked for success and Bond wished to be a first division manger at Dean Court. Unfortunately, MacDougall left for Manchester United after the side had finished third in Division Three at a time when only two clubs went up. Bond himself left for Norwich with many players following him and the 20,000+ crowds disappeared quickly and the club was left deep in debt and struggling on the field. Relegation came in 1975 and a depressing few years followed in Division Four with crowds rarely over 3,000 and mid-table was all that could be hoped for. The arrival of Alec Stock as manager installed pride back in the club and it was at that time that David Webb was offered a chance in to the management side of football. He put together a good side which won promotion in 1982.

The 1980s and Our Harry After Webb was dismissed, the club seemed to be heading back to the dark days of Division Four under Don Megson, but the appointment of Harry Redknapp was to change the club. His early finest hour came when cup holder Manchester United were beaten by second from bottom Bournemouth in the 3rd round of the FA Cup on 7 January 1984. A man with an eye for a bargain transformed Bournemouth into a tremendous team and the club had won the Associate Members Cup at Hull, established a 97 point record in the 1986-87 season to lift the Division Three Championship. There were three dramatic season in the higher division. After a difficult first season, 12th place was gained in the 1988-89 season, the clubs best ever, and also the fifth round of the FA Cup was reached. Injuries decimated the squad the following season and after the play-offs had been discussed as late in the season as February, a poor run when the entire defence were out injured saw the side relegated on the final day of the season with that fateful match against Leeds at Dean Court.

The 1990s: Survival & Splender Failure to reach the play-offs during the next two seasons saw Harry Redknapp retire from football, although he was soon back with West Ham. Tony Pulis took over, but by then the club was in a terrible financial mess and Pulis had little money to spend. Pulis left just before the start of the 1994-95 season and with no manager and a bare bones squad, the Cherries lost all of their first seven games. Mel Machin then came in and after the side had gained just 9 points by Christmas, there was little hope of avoiding the drop. However, some great signings and inspirational leadership by Machin saw the side achieve 'The Great Escape'. Behind the scenes, the financial worries were always there and these came to a head in late 1996, early 1997. The receivers were called in and the future looked bleak as the extent of the mess was revealed. Supporters rallied and a trust fund was set up with thousands pouring in. Despite the support, Bournemouth were 15 minutes from closing down at one stage.

With no benefactor to step in, present Chairman Trevor Watkins, then in charge of the Trust Committee announced that the trust fund was going to bid to take the club over. This was ultimately successful and Europe's first ever community Club was formed. The opening game of the 1997-98 season at Northampton, the clubs 3001st league match was one of great celebration of a dream come true. If the Cherries had won no games whatsoever during the 1997-98 season, it would really not have mattered too much. The mere fact that the club was there was what mattered. It turned out to be an incredible season. The play offs were just missed and Wembley was reached in the Auto Windscreens Shield. 34,000 Bournemouth supporters travelled to Wembley - an incredible achievement for a club so close to closing down just a year before. The 1998-99 season saw many of the young players come to the fore and with larger crowds than in many years, the side played some exceptional football and looked certain to reach the play offs but despite reaching 76 points, the side finished seventh and incredibly missed out on the end of season shake up.

2000 - A NEW ERA Record appearance maker Sean O'Driscoll took over as first team manager in 2000. And by the end of his first season in charge, he had led the side from the bottom of the table to the in-form team in the UK. They narrowly missed out on the play-offs when Reading equalized with just two minutes left to deny the Cherries a chance of a shot at Division One - a superb achievement for a manager who has never had any money to buy a player. On Saturday 28 April 2001, the Cherries moved out of Dean Court to set up a temporary at Dorchester's Avenue Stadium whilst a new stadium is built partially on the site of the old ground, with the pitch turned by 90 degree's. The 2001/2002 season proved to be a defining season for the Cherries in more ways than one. The temporary stay at Dorchester came to a 4-2 winning end against Notts County after being 2-0 down. On November 10th 2001, Bournemouth returned to the now named Fitness First Stadium at Dean Court and how!

Local lad Brian Stock became the first ever player to score at the new ground and his goal was added to by great strikes from James Hayter and Jason Tindall. It was a bridge too far for the youngest Cherries side in history though. Just three more wins followed after the stadium christening and relegation to the third division was cast on the final day at Wrexham. Cherries kept faith with Sean O'Driscoll and he led the team to promotion at the first attempt culminating in a terrific 5-2 victory over Lincoln City at The Millennium Stadium. Sean O'Driscoll left the Cherries after twenty-two years service to the club and became Manager of Doncaster Rovers. Kevin Bond took charge late in 2006 and steered the club to League One survival with player of the year and former England International Darren Anderton playing a key role. The 07-08 season though saw the club struggle from the start and were foot of the table. A brief rise was short lived as the financial problems saw the club enter administration and receive a ten point deduction.

With a handful of games left and 14 points from safety, the side put in a fantastic run and so nearly preserved their league 1 status, only to be thwarted in the final game of the season away at Carlisle with over 1,700 Cherries supporters making the trip to see the 1-1 draw. The club finally came out of administration at the start of the 2008-09 season under the new owenership of Paul Baker and Sport-6. They were saddled with another points deduction, this time 17. Kevin Bond lasted for four games, but poor performances saw him replaced by Jimmy Quinn in September 2008 with Jason Tindall as his assistant. Under Quinn, the team still struggled to come to terms on the pitch and after 20 games in charge, he was replaced on New Years Eve by Eddie Howe. Eddie was initially taken on in a caretaker role, before being given the job until the end of the season. The only way that the side could hope to stay up was to show promotion form. Big Steve Fletcher returned to the club as one of Howe's first signings and that proved pivitol.

11 wins after Fletch returned saw the side preserve their league status and fittingly, it was Fletcher who scored the winning goal in the vital match against Grimsby, his 100th league goal in his 702nd professional appearance. The side then completed the remarkable turnaround with an emphatic 4-0 win at Morecambe on the final day of the season. Promotion against the odds The 2009-10 season started with Eddie Mitchell coming in as the new Chairman at the club. He inherited legacy debts, but through sheer hard work, reduced these as the club stood on it's own two feet. Despite all that work, Eddie Howe had to work under the constraints of a player embargo. With a squad of just 19 players and no loan players, apart frpom the returning Rhoys Wiggins, the side enjoyed their best ever start to a league season and kept up the fine form throughout the campaign and at a glorious day at Burton, gained promotion, finally finishing in second place against all the odds.

So close Despite losing Brett Pitman early in the season and then Josh McQuoid, the Cherries became the surprise package in League 1 in the 2010-11 season. Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall left for Burnley in January 2011 with Lee Bradbury and Steve Fletcher taking over, and they took the side in to the League 1 Play Offs for the first time after the side finished 6th. The Cherries had two epic encounters with Huddersfield with the second leg hailed as one of the greatest play-off matches ever seen. The 3-3 draw made it 4-4 on aggregate before the Cherries suffered the heartbreak of going out on penalties, The 2011-12 season could be seen as one of transition as the majority of the successful squad left for pastures new. The club had the boost of Max Demin coming in to become a major shareholder. Lee Bradbury was replaced with seven games to go after a run of disappointing results, Paul Groves stepping in as a caretaker, with that position being made permanent in the summer of 2012.

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AFC Bournemouth cruised into the semi-finals of the Hampshire Senior Cup final with a 6-0 win away at Gosport Borough 17 Jan 2017 Ref watch: Lee Mason to... AFC Bournemouth host Watford on Saturday and referee Lee Mason will be the man with the whistle at Vitality Stadium Premier League Promotion 2015: Teams, Championship Playoff Bracket and More | Bleacher Report Premier League Promotion 2015: Teams, Championship Playoff Bracket and More By James Dudko , Featured Columnist May 24, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Tom Dulat/Getty Images 0 Comments Middlesbrough and Norwich City will be bid to join both Bournemouth and Watford as teams promoted from the Championship to the Premier League for next season. It's the Canaries who came with the late run and haven't been short of goals. Meanwhile, a Middlesbrough team smartly structured by manager Aitor Karanka is one of the most miserly in English football. But Norwich will also be wary of some of Boro's forward talent, specifically cerebral technician Lee Tomlin.

Both teams overcame tough tests in the playoff semi-finals, with Norwich settling an age-old local score. The bracket below details how both sides made it to the brink of England's top flight: Championship Playoff Bracket Ipswich Town vs. Norwich City 1-1 Norwich City vs. Ipswich Town 3-1 Middlesbrough vs. Norwich City Sky Sports The results prove how dominant both sides have been. Truthfully, both were unfortunate to miss out on automatic entry into the Premier League amid one of the toughest and tightest promotion races in years. Here's a closer look at the teams, starting with the playoff hopefuls: Middlesbrough Defensive solidity has been Boro's foundation on Karanka's watch. Schooled by pragmatic Chelsea gaffer Jose Mourinho while at Real Madrid, Karanka has brought his mentor's same adherence to being difficult to beat to Teesside. Paul White/Associated Press Karanka learned well from Mourinho. Part of the bedrock of Middlesbrough's stingy squad has been veteran Jonathan Woodgate. An incredibly talented yet tragically brittle centre-back, the 35-year-old still has enough nous to thwart most attackers.

He may be on the bench at Wembley, according to the Guardian's Louise Taylor . But Woodgate's experience and influence remains invaluable in this squad. Karanka may deem those qualities too important to leave out on the big day. Should Woodgate start at Wembley? Yes 30.9% Total votes: 94 Fortunately for Boro, they can already count on Daniel Ayala to keep things steady at the back, no matter whom he's partnered with. The former Liverpool and Norwich defender has blossomed thanks to Karanka's tutelage. Earlier in the season, Eric Paylor of the Teesside Gazette identified the 23-year-old Spaniard as a defender with a "big future ahead." Paylor also noted how Ayala is a menace from set pieces, something the Canaries will be very wary of. While things are usually rock-solid at the back for Karanka's men, they often depend on some mercurial brilliance from Tomlin to create something in forward areas. At his best, the 26-year-old usually provides a magic moment or two. Tomlin has battled major weight issues to revive his career, per Daily Mail writer Matt Lawton .

He's got the skill, intelligence and change of pace to unlock any defence. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Tomlin is capable of brilliance. If Boro do reach the promised land, Karanka will count on the likes of Ayala and Tomlin to be key figures. Still, he'll still be aware this team will need more firepower to survive a Premier League campaign. Norwich City While defensive resolve is the hallmark of Middlesbrough, midfield power is what separates Norwich from most. Alexander Tettey and Graham Dorrans offer a perfect blend of attributes at the heart of the engine room. The former offers some brute force power and drive. Meanwhile, Dorrans is a crafty schemer who can thread passes between the lines and rarely wastes possession. Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Dorrans is a very capable playmaker. The icing on the cake is usually provided by the energetic Jonny Howson. He's a workhorse with a real eye for goal. But as much as manager Alex Neil can count on his men in the middle, the young Scot needs a more dynamic striker. Anytime a team fields Cameron Jerome up top, it's a sign there's room for improvement.

The lack of top quality to lead the line might cost Norwich against Boro. Even if it doesn't, this team will need a new striker or two to cope at a higher level. Bournemouth The one team in the Premier League promotion spots not short of firepower is Eddie Howe's Bournemouth. In fact, the Cherries may find it tough to keep hold of star striker Callum Wilson, even after winning the Championship. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Bournemouth must keep Callum Wilson. At least Howe knows Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger won't be making a move. The Gunners boss recently disputed claims he's interested in signing the 23-year-old Wilson, per TalkSport.com . That's welcome news for the Cherries considering Wilson's importance. Squawka's Tahmeed Zaki detailed how Wilson bagged 20 goals this season, with all of his successful strikes coming inside the box, the hallmark of a classic poacher. Significantly, Zaki also noted how Wilson has "created 62 chances for his teammates and registered seven assists." That's ample proof of how important he is to every level of his team's forward output. Steve Bardens/Getty Images Howe is at his best at spiritual home Bournemouth.

Howe is already thinking about adding even more firepower around Wilson ahead of a first season in the Premier League. The Cherries are currently linked with Blackburn Rovers attacker Josh King, per Sky Sports . Sticking with an attack-first approach would fit a bold manager whom Gareth Southgate believes is a potential future England boss, per Mirror reporter Dean Jones . Watford While Bournemouth boast a star of the managerial ranks in Howe, Watford may be ready to wave goodbye to Slavisa Jokanovic. B/R Spanish Football expert Guillem Balague detailed how the club is already speaking to candidates to replace the man who took the club back to the summit of English football: Very true that Watford approached Quique Sanchez Flores. He's about 2 answer, has another big offer. Jokanovic never seriously considered — Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) May 24, 2015 However, a report from the Watford Observer's Adam Newson contradicts Balague's rumour. Instead, Newson states Watford and Jokanovic are still taking over a new deal, but he does identify wage demands as a "sticking point." Will Jokanovic still be at Watford next season?

Yes Submit Vote vote to see results Will Jokanovic still be at Watford next season? Yes 36.0% Total votes: 50 The standoff with the manager is strangely timed, especially considering the owning Pozzo family is apparently already trying to recruit new players. Udinese defender Thomas Heurtaux is a target, according to Italian website TuttoMercato.web (h/t the Watford Observer ). Bolstering the defensive ranks is always good preparation for facing Premier League opposition. To that end, at least the Hornets know goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is sticking around, after he signed a new three-year contract, per Sky Sports . As a stopper with Premier League experience, Gomes should be an invaluable figure next season. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Gomes will be vital for Watford next season. At the moment, it's tough to gauge who has the best chance to survive when the final promotion spot is still to be decided. It's easy to say Watford look shaky given the manager's uncertainty and the high number of loan players comprising a squad that will look radically different when the next campaign begins. Which Promoted team has the best chance to survive in the Premier League?

Bournemouth Bournemouth 3 Bolton Wanderers 0, match report: Cherries all but secure promotion to Premier League - Telegraph Bournemouth Bournemouth 3 Bolton Wanderers 0, match report: Cherries all but secure promotion to Premier League Bournemouth v Bolton Wanderers, Championship - South coast club bound for the Premier League with Boro needing to overturn 21-goal deficit with one game remaining On the up: Tommy Elphick, the Bournemouth captain, celebrates after his side's 3-0 defeat of Bolton at Goldsands Stadium Photo: GETTY IMAGES By Jeremy Wilson , Goldsands Stadium 9:51PM BST 27 Apr 2015 Follow The plea from James Lathwell, the Bournemouth groundsman, for no pitch invasion was to inevitably fall on deaf ears. Lathwell has been hoping to win an award for the best grass in the Football League. The supporters of Bournemouth were raucously preoccupied with a rather more pressing matter; celebrating the football story of this and just about other season. Barring defeat by Charlton Athletic on Saturday and a 20-goal swing to Middlesbrough, Eddie Howe’s team have clinched their place in the Premier League next season.

That’s right, Bournemouth, a club who almost fell out of the entire Football League less than six years ago, will now line up with Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the richest football competition in the world. “It doesn’t seem real,” said Howe. Chairman Jeff Mostyn had said earlier in the season that promotion would represent “the greatest fairy tale since Hans Christian Andersen wrote his last one”. When a camera entered the joyous home dressing room shortly after the final whistle last night, Mostyn was equally forthcoming if rather less articulate. “I f------ love these boys,” he said, before dancing a jig of unrestrained joy with the players. Sky TV had to apologise for his profanity. “We’ve achieved the impossible. It’s an absolute dream come true. The boys have carried us up four divisions against all the odds. We will actually make the Premier League proud.” There is barely a person in football who would begrudge Bournemouth, and specifically Howe and Mostyn, their moment of glory. Mostyn had personally written the six-figure cheque that had kept Bournemouth in existence six years ago.

Howe can still vividly remember how supporters chipped in with their bucket collections during other moments of financial crisis since he first joined the club as a 10-year-old trainee. Even Charlton, their opponents on Saturday, seemed to be enjoying the story. “Bournemouth celebrating like they have completely ruled out a 19-0 defeat at the Valley – we’ll see,” said a message on their Twitter feed. It goes without saying that Bournemouth have never been in the top flight of English football in their 125-year history. This is only their fifth season even at the level of the Championship but, under the inspired leadership of Howe, a third promotion in six years is all but secure. Fittingly, they also realised their dream with panache. Just as they have done all season, they performed with swagger in swatting aside Bolton in the most one-sided 3-0 win you will ever see. All three goals were of the highest quality. They also celebrated their greatest ever achievement in considerable style, with the Match of the Day theme tune bellowed out by fans in between undiluted hero worship for Howe.

Mostyn and the players were then introduced into the centre circle one-by-one although it was typically selfless that Howe should insist on the entire coaching staff being announced together. Howe’s message was that it had been a joint effort but, in the motivational messages that you see in just about every corner of the stadium, the 37-year-old’s personality and thirst for improvement is stamped all over the club. “It’s an amazing journey, an incredible day for the supporters, and one they’ll never forget,” said Howe. “This club was heading nowhere. It was heading out of business. It’s been a monumental effort by everyone.” With fans having begun congregating in and around the Goldsands Stadium from early afternoon, the collective excitement had already reached fever pitch by the time of kick-off. Interactive: 2804 Bournemouth v Prem giants Bournemouth soon had Bolton on the back foot but their urgency also sometimes manifested itself in a stray pass or gaping defensive hole. Both Dorian Dervite and Adam Le Fondre had sights of goal for Bolton before Bournemouth settled into the same expansive, passing brand of football that they play regardless of the circumstances.

Adam Bogdan, the Bolton goalkeeper, had clearly arrived on the south coast with no compunction about ruining the party and made a series of first-half saves before succumbing to two moments of authentic Premier League quality. Marc Pugh drifted into the penalty area from the left and, displaying wonderfully quick feet, created just enough space to drill an unstoppable finish across Bogdan. The collective sigh of relief was soon followed by a moment of unmitigated joy. Another sweeping move ended with Yann Kermorgant teeing up for Matt Ritchie to smash a wonderful first-time finish past Bogdan. Cue wild celebration both in the dugout and stands. There was never even the slightest danger that Howe’s team would simply settle for their 2-0 lead after the break. Callum Wilson again broke clear on goal, only to be scythed down by Dervite just as he shaped to shoot. A straight red card was inevitable but Kermorgant then ballooned his penalty over. No matter. Bournemouth were 3-0 ahead within minutes after Wilson, who had been superb all evening, finished another excellent passage of football with precision into the bottom corner.

It then took all the restraint that the Bournemouth fans could muster to wait the remaining 12 minutes before Lathwell’s pristine pitch turned into a delirious mass of fans. Match details Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Boruc; Smith, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Surman, Arter; Ritchie (Fraser 83), Kermorgant (Pitman 80), Pugh (Gosling 89); Wilson. Subs: Camp, Harte, Ward, Jones. Booked: Arter. Bolton Wanderers (3-5-2): Bogdan; Dervite, Ream Moxey; Feeney (Threlkeld 63), Danns, Bannan, Davies (Gudjohnsen 63), Walker; Heskey, Le Fondre (Woolery 79). Subs: Lonergan, Twardzik, Taylor, Coke. Booked: Dervite, Ream.

Question: Which premiership Football team have the nickname “The Cherries”?
Answer: BOURNEMOUTH